Imelda May

Born in Dublin’s Liberties district, Imelda May has, since the early 2000s, built a career at the crossroads of rockabilly, swing, rhythm and blues, jazz, soul and folk. After forming her own band she released No Turning Back in 2003, followed by Love Tattoo in 2008 and Mayhem in 2010 — three albums that cemented a retro aesthetic informed by 1950s rock’n’roll, blues and melodic songwriting. Her profile quickly gained an international dimension through the British scene, notably alongside Jools Holland, and through notable appearances with Jeff Beck, with whom she took part in the 2010 tribute to Les Paul at the Grammy Awards. Over the years Imelda May broadened her palette: Tribal (2014) retained a roots base but moved further toward rock and soul, while Life Love Flesh Blood (2017), produced by T Bone Burnett, adopted a more stripped-down approach closer to folk and soft rock. She continued this evolution with Slip of the Tongue (2020), which leaned toward spoken word, and 11 Past the Hour (2021), featuring contributions from Noel Gallagher and Ronnie Wood.